Method of producing factis



Patented Aug; 14, 1945 a UNITED STATE 1 Mnrnonop Isaac Bencowitz, Newgulf, TcmQassignor to Texas.

Gulf Sulphur Compan poi-ati onot Texas a No Drawing. Application July SerialNo.193,926

y, Houston, Tex a cor-I ,4 Claims: (01. 106-249) This invention relates to factis, and has for its objects the provisionof certain improvements in the method of producing'factis, and the provision,

as anew articleof manufacture, of an improved factis. l

I have discovered that superior factis can be made by carrying out the digestion of polymerizable vegetable oil and sulphur in a reaction me-:

dium of solvent naphtha. It has heretofore been proposed to carry outthe digestion of oiland; sulphur in the presence of various media, such as.

kerosene, pyridine or xylene, butthe resulting reaction products are either heterogeneous and composed. of solidiand liquid phases, or homogeneous fiuids without any rubber-lik properties. However, when the digestionof the oil and sulphur iscarried out in a reaction medium of solvent naphtha, factis. possessing goodelasticity and a,

. fair degree of tensile strength is obtained. The,

solvent naphtha not only acts as a solvent to facilitate the reaction and to control the temperature of the batchduring the digestion period but it also contributes to the polymerized product. A

considerable portion of naphtha remains in the final product. l Y

I have further found that superior factis can be produced by digesting levulinic acid with a maybe addedor left out as desired. The mixture is digested from four to, ten hours, Digestion for '3 longer periods does noharin. When the digestion iscompleted thexcesssolventisdistilled off, The

residue can then be poured out into storage vessels. In the case of'mixtures without rosinor levulinic acid, the residue is a jelly-like substance and will not pour; in the case of mixtures containing rosin, the residue is quite fluid andhomogeneous when hot. In the case of mixtures con taining levulinic acid, the residue is fluid but on. cooling two products separate out-a rubber-like substance and a'very fluid liquid. The two products can be separated by decantation. i The temperature of the digestion is controlled f by the amount of solvent and also, to a minor extent, by the other constituents. The whole opnaphtha necessary to form the uniform product desired, the amount of solvent is not critical; too

erationis thermostatically controlled, that is, for

a given mixture, the temperatur remains constant without any further care or provision. The

temperature may yary, for example from 120' C. to150 0. depending upon the mixture.

Beyond the minimum requirements of solvent small an amount causessolid bodies to separate out. Excessive amounts over the amount that vegetable oiLsuIphur and solventnaphtha. Levulinic acid has a ketonic structure (CH3'CO'CH2-CH2-COOH) being, in fact, aketomc acid. It is structurally difierent from maleic acid (COQH-CHtCH-COOH) rosin incorporated therein toalter the characterv isticsofthefactis. l p y Based on the foregoing discoveries, the present invention, in one aspect, involves the production of a factls by reacting or digesting, preferably with refluxing, a polymerizable vegetable oil and sulphur in a reaction medium of solvent naphtha.

In carrying out a method of the invention, the sulphur, vegetable, oil andsolvent naphtha are put into a digester, and levulinic acid or rosin remains in the factis are recovered by distillation. The digestion temperature maybe varied by varying th amount of naphtha; for example, adigestion temperature of150" C.may be decreased to C. by increasing the amount of solvent naphtha.

The distillation is preferably carried out to a point of incipientfoamlng... This is easily detected. 1 i If visual observation is impossible, the rate of distillation isplotted against th temperature. As distillation progresses the'rate gradually decreases and towards the end the curve bends sharply towards the temperature axis. That is the time to stop distillation. The results of one example of such distillation aregiven in the following, table:

Table I Temper- Amount ature distilled 0. Co. fl54, is ,157 23 1 61 as 173 i '45 115,, 48 l 171 so invention, in ,one of its method, aspects, comprises digesting. sulphur, vegetable oil, and,

solvent naphtha for the required period, usually from four to ten hours, and then distilling off the solvent until the rate of distillation begins to drop sharply.

In practicing the invention, good rubber-like products are obtained by digesting mixtures containing by weight 1 to 2 parts of sulphur, 2 to 4 parts of solvent naphtha and 4 parts of polymerizable vegetable oil.- Generally speaking, the products have greater elasticity with lower ratios of sulphur to polymerizable vegetable oil. The time required to obtain the contemplated rubber-like products depends to some extent upon the digesting temperature, a shorter time. bein required at higher temperatures. A longer time of digestion or a higher digesting temperature, or both, may be desirable with higher ratios of sulphur to polymerizable vegetable oil.

' The invention is further illustrated by the fol- When the weight of sulphur is not less than one-third the weight of soy bean oil. solid and liquid products are formed in the residue regardless of the amount of'levulinic acid employed. When the weight of sulphur is less than one-third the weight of soy bean oil, only liquid products are formed in the residue. Thus, the proportion of sulphur to soy bean oil should not be less than 1 to 3 by weight. n the other hand, when the ratio of sulphur to soy bean oil is increased to 1 to 1, the residual solid product is leather-like and not of much'interest as a rubber substitute or rubber-like product. Increased proportions of levulinic acid withthis ratio of sulphur to oil (1 to 1) merely increases the volume of liquid phase left in the residue with the leather-like solid. The weight of the latter remains about the same. The following examples illustrate this lowing examples in which the reaction mixtures tt t; were refluxed at temperatures of 120 C. to 0 T bl H 150 C. for 51 to 10 hours; Then, the excess-sola e vent naphtha was distilled oil until the temperature of the liquid phase rose from 155 C; to Digw Residueaiter 170 C. 75%, of the solvent naphtha was recovsolvent s 1 Soy bean "l ev uon distillation r d 25 naphtha phur oil tempera- I q l Solids Liquid Sulphur rams;v 50 C0. gm. 0m. 01 e 0mg. 3? 2 s2 5 5 2 Solvent naphtha 75 3o 2 25 o 152 62 75 a 75 25 125 157 57 100 Sulphur l 3 When the proportion of sulphur tosoy bean oil Cottonseed v 1 0 is between 1 to 3 and 1'to 2. by weight, rubbernaphtha 75 like residues are obtained when the ratio of sul- HI phur to levulinic acid is not lower than 1 to 2. When the ratio of sulphur to' levulinic acid is Sulphur m 50 lower than 1 to 2. (e. g. when the proportion of Levulinioa do '75 40 levulinic acid is increased), asphalt-like liquids Soy bean oil do 2 are obtained. The following examples illustrate Solvent naphtha 00.... '75 this relationship.

Table III 3 Levul' is1 5 D ti sulphur swbmml Beni 0 ll p l t l l fripf Residue alter distillation time. time. time. Cc. C-.

25 I 25 148 Fairrubberandliquid. 25 50 50 75 148 Goodrubberandliquid. 25 50 75 75 148 Twoliquids. 25 so 75 150. Do. 25 75 50 75 Veryidgood rubber and 25 75 75 '75 148 Homogeneousliquid.

25 100 25 75 150 Do. 25 100 50 75 157 Do. 25 100 75 75 151 Do.

The best'rubber-like substance is obtained in Exam les 1, 2 and 5. Of these No. 5 gives a etm. grams 5 O ter yield and a somewhat superior product. In Lemme acid; 25 No. 5 out of a total weight of 150- gms., not count- Soy beannfl j 75 ing the solvent, 123 girls. of rubber is obtained Solvent mnhthfi cc" 5 p and only 15 gms. of liquid. This is equivalent to 82 per cent. In Nos. 1 and 2 the yields are 65 and The addition of levulinic acid results in an im- 65 57 per cent, respectively. The Volume of liquid Proved pro uct. The prop t be used are phase is proportionately greater. In Example 5, rather Specific and the range is rather small- 66 cc. of the solvent is recovered- The residue in the digester after distillation con- 1 have discovered t wood rosin (the principal sists of a rubber-like substance and a fluid liquid t t n being abietic a d may be m which can be decanted. This fluidliquid breaks porated in the factis, with due regard to the on heatin a y low boiling liquids amounts of the other constituents, to alter the a a p sti The relativenrepertion f the characteristics of the factisand even to produce her-like material and this fluid, as well as t other products. The critical limits of rosin with quality of the rubber-like material, depend upo respect to other constituents of the mixture are the proportions used.

illustrated in the following table:

Table IV t Example Sulphur 25" Rosin :333: gggf 01m. Gmc. Gnu. Cc. C. l 100 2. 5 i 75- 149 Good rubber-like substance. 2 25 100 5.0 I 75 .149 Do. 3... 100 6.0 75 145 D0. 4. 50 l00 l0. 0 75 ,152 i Do. 5... i 50 i. 6.0 148 Gum-like substance.

6... 50 y 50 10.0 75 ,147 .Do. i 7... 50 50 I 5.0 75 138 Poor gum-like substance 8. 50 K 50 10.0 75 142 Do. 9. 50 200 25mm 75 149 Homogeneous liquid. 10... 50 25 to 50 75 150 D0. 11 so so 25 to so 75 150 Do. i 12 50 Under 25 25 to 60 75 Semi-solid plastics.

Rubber-like substances are obtainedfwhen the weightof sulphur is not less than one-fourth the weight of soy bean oil (i. e. the ratio or sulphur to oil is at least 1 to 4), and the weight of sulphur is not less thanfive times the weightot rosin (i. e. the ratio of sulphur to rosin is at least5 m1) When the proportion of rosin is lncreasedjso that the ratio of sulphurto rosin is 2 to l orlower,

homogeneous fluids of various viscosities are formed. The viscosities depend upon the proportion of rosin. No rubber-like bodies are formed. On the other hand, if the proportion of soy bean oil is decreased so that the ratio of sulphur to the oil is 2 to 1 or higher, solid plastics are obtained and no rubber-like bodies are formed.

result in the formation ofrubber-like substances (1. e. weight of sulphur not less than one-fourth it that of oil and not less than five times that of Iciaim; I i

' p 1. The improvement in the production of iactis which comprises reacting insolventlnaphtha a mixture oil part levulinic acid, about 2 parts of 2Q soybean oil and from 1 to 2, parts of sulphurby 1 weight leaving a, part of the solvent naphtha in i the, factis and removing the excess solvent naphtha bydistillation.

2. The improvement in the production 0! factis 25 whichcomprises reacting a mixture 01' 1 to 2 parts 1 by weight of levulinic acid, 4 parts by weight of, a

, polymerizable vegetable oil and l to 2 parts by weight or sulphur in solvent naphthai'or several hours, and distilling oi! excess solvent naphtha,

, 0 leaving a Part ofthe solvent na htha in the re- 1 Within the indicated range of proportions which l l p suiting factis.

least four-hours at a temperature around C.

rosin). there is a distinction between the quality 35 1 mg parts by weight levunnic acid, 1 to 2 or the products. When the ratio of sulphur to parts by weight or sulphur and4 parts by weight.

oil is as high as 1 to 1 and the ratio of sulphur to of apolymemable vegetable 011m a n rosin isbetween 5 to l and 1cm 1, the product mum of 3 to 4 parts by weight of solv nt; naph-- is with o tha, and distilling oil excess solvent naphtha from 7 j tics, such as lto 2 and 1 to 4. with the sulphur to 40 the r sulm'rubb r;uker ti product; I

rosin ratio still between 5 .to l and 10 to 1, good rubber-like materials are obtained. The factis of the invention resembles natural rubber, and may be subjected to subsequent processing, compounding andthe like in much the same manner as natural or synehtic rubber. It

may be processed with softening agents, plasticizers, pigments andthe like, and compounded with the customary rubber compounding agents. 1

Thus, the product may be compounded with car- .bon black or zinc oxide. milledand formed into sheets. Any tackiness oi these sheets may be removed by dipping the sheets in a 10%aqueous caustic soda solution fort to lo 4. The improvement inthe production of factis 1 which comprises reacting with refluxing i'or.sev-

eral hours at atemperature around150 C. a mixtureotxlevulinic acid, a polymerizable vegetabiei" 45 oil, and sulphur in solvent naphthagthek ratio 01 sulphur to vegetableoil being between 1 to 2 and lto 3 when the ratio of sulphur to levulinic acid is not lower than 1 to 2 by weight, and distilling [oil excess solvent naphthalt'rom the resulting ruba 50 ber -iikereaction product. 1 1

ISAAC j 

